THE SOBERING PHYSIOLOGY BEHIND HANGOVERS

Most of us know the horrible feeling of a massive hangover the following day after having a bit too much to drink. 

And although we all can relate, it is not always easy to exactly try and explain the exact feeling of the most horrific feeling and contemplation during a hangover. 

However, a sober TED-Ed lesson managed to exactly describe the physiology behind hangovers. 

In the lesson, which was written by Judy Griesel, animated by Anton Bogaty and narrator Alexandra Panzer, you can discover what impact alcohol has on your body’s processes.

“Discover how alcohol impacts your body’s processes and causes hangovers, and find out what causes the most common hangover symptoms.”

Scientists have been studying the aftereffects of ethanol in effort to understand which symptoms are caused by the different types of spirits. They have also been studying how physical attributes of the drinker contribute to these effects of alcohol, and if there is possibly for people to completely avoid hangovers. 

Unfortunately, that latter piece of research remains elusive, as alcohol disrupts so many of the body’s processes.

“Alcohol impacts so many of the body’s processes, throwing delicate balances off-kilter. …For example, alcohol disrupts levels of many hormones. One of those hormones is cortisol. …So the disruption in cortisol during a hangover may cause people to feel groggy or disoriented. Another hormone alcohol interferes with is vasopressin, which normally decreases the volume of urine made by the kidneys. By decreasing levels of vasopressin, alcohol causes people to pee more and become dehydrated. Dehydration can lead to thirst, dry mouth, weakness, lightheadedness, and headache.”